Makes 12
Ingredients:
Sweet Pastry
125 g / 5 oz butter or margarine
225 g / 8 oz plain flour
50 g / 2 oz icing sugar
1 egg yolk
t tablespoon cold water
½ teaspoon lemon juice
Jar of mincemeat, homemade
Mincemeat
350 g / 12 oz eating apples
225 g / 8 oz raisins
225 g / 8 oz sultanas
225 g / 8 oz currants
100 g / 4 oz candid citrus peel
225 g / 8 oz melted butter
100 g / 4 oz blanched almonds, chopped
175 g / 6 oz dark brown sugar
Grated rind 1 orange
Grated rind 1 lemon
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoon brandy or whiskey
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 ° C / Gas 4. Sieve flour and icing sugar into bowl. Add butter cut into 5 small pieces. Add egg yolk, water and lemon juice. Beat with electric mixer at slow speed until mixture forms dough.
Place pastry in greaseproof paper or a plastic bag in refrigerator, for at least 30 minutes before use. Roll out 2/3 of pastry thinly on a lightly floured board. Cut out rounds with a cutter a little larger than the tins. Line the tartlet tins with rounds of pastry. Put 1 tbsp mincemeat in each.
Roll out the remainder of pastry and cut with a slightly smaller cutter to fit the tops. Brush the edges of the mince pies with water and place smaller rounds on top, seal with tips of fingers. Make a small slit in each mince pie. Brush with beaten egg. Bake in a preheated oven at 190 ° C / Gas 6, for 15-20 minutes. Cool in tins before lifting out the mince pies. Dust with icing sugar.
Mince Meat
Peel, core and finely chop apples. Melt butter. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and cover with a teacloth. Leave overnight. Mix well and pack into clean dry jars. Seal and store in a cool dark place for 3-4 weeks before use.
Tip:
Why not make twice the amount of mincemeat and put in some sterilized fancy jars, wrap with a red ribbon and give a jar to your friends for a Christmas gift?
